Mop squeezer



July 21, 1942. F. A. TRINDL ET AL MOP "SQUEEZER Filed Jan. 11, 1940 Patented July 21, 1942 Moe sounazaa Frank A. Trindl and Catherine o. Trlndl,

Chicago, Ill.

Application January 11, 1940, Serial No. 313,352

8 Claims.

This invention relates to cleaning apparatus,

and more particularly to devices for expressing moisture from absorbent mops of the type formed of elastic cellular material.

We have found that a mop comprising a rigid back and a mass of absorbent elastic cellular material is more convenient to handle and satisfactory in its operation than the old-fashioned types of mops formed of rags or cords. In particular, we have found that the recently developed synthetic material marketed under the name "cellulose sponge has a superior ability to remove moisture from a surface such as a floor and will withstand a remarkable amount of wear. The present invention seeks to provide a moisture expressing device for such a mop.

An important object of this invention is to provide a moisture expressing device for a mop of the type referred to above which will express moisture from all of the absorbent portion of the mop, forcing the moisture out of the edge portions as well as out of the central portion.

Another object of this invention is to provide a moisture expressing device for a mop of the type referred to above and adapted ,to be readily adjusted to fit on pails of different sizes.

Another object of this invention is to provide a perforated receptacle into which a mop of the above mentioned type can be inserted, the mop being pressed against the bottom of the receptacle to express moisture therefrom, and adapted to be detachably supported in the mouth of the pail or bucket at one side of the center thereof so that the mop may be inserted past the perforated receptacle into liquid in the lower part of the pail or bucket.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a perforated receptacle for a mop having a rigid back and a compressible absorbent mopping portion, the receptacle being adapted to receive the mop and to press in upon the sides of the mop as the mop is pressed down into the receptacle in order to thoroughly express moisture from all portions of the absorbent material.

Other objects and features of this invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the I accompanying drawing which illustrates several embodiments thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing one portion of one form of the invention mounted in a pail or bucket;

Figure 2 is an end view of one form of the invention, showing the relation between the mop and the moisture-expressing device;

Figure 3 is an end view of a modified form of moisture-expressing device;

Figure 4 is an end view of one form of mop to be used with our improved moisture-expressing device;

Figure 5 is an end view illustrating the operation of the mop shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an end view of a further modified form of mop;

Figure 7 is a bottom view of either of the forms of mops shown in Figures 4 and 6; and

. Figure 8 is a bottom view similar to Figure 7 of another form of mop.

The portion of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a resilient perforated sheet metal trough ii which is removably supported upon the rim I2 of a pail or bucket i3 by four hooks l4, i5, i6 and I1. The trough ii is formed of a single piece of sheet metal bent to form a fiat bottom l8, two sloping sides i9 and 20 and two tubular rim portions 2i and 22 along the upper edges of the sides i9 and 20. The bottom I8 of the trough may be rectangular in shape, but it is preferable that it have the shape of an isosceles trapezoid, that is, that its two sides be parallel but of unequal length and its. two ends extend at equal oblique angles to the sides. One side IQ of the trough is therefore considerably shorter than the other side 20, which enables the trough ii to fit over to one side of the pail i3, as shown in Figure .1.

.Each of the tubular rim portions 2i and 22 on the two sides i9 and 20 of the trough ii serves as a means for holding the hooks Ii, i5, I6 and i1. Each hook is formed with a straight horizontal portion which extends into the tubular rim, and an upwardly extending curved h'ook ortion which is adapted to fit over the rim l2 of the bucket. The two hooks i4 and I5 which are at the end of the short side IQ of the trough have their ste'm portions tightly fitted 'within the tubular rim 2| so that they-will not move relative thereto during the normal use of the device. The other two hooks i6 and i! have their straight horizontal stem portions more loosely fitted within the tubular rim portion 22 so that they can be slid in and out and so that they can also rock back and forth.

The longitudinal freedom of movement of the hooks I6 and I1 allows the distance between them to be adjusted and permits the trough II to be mounted upon pails having rims l2 of different diameters. It will readily be seen that, no matter what may be the diameter of the rim i2, the two relatively fixed hooks l4 and I5 may be placed so as to simultaneously fit over the rim. This definitely locates one edge 2| of the trough relative to the pail and also locates the other edge. The slidable hooks l6 and I1 can then be moved in or out until they fit over the rim |2 of the pail, as shown in Figure 1.

One form of mop to be used with the moistureexpressing device or trough II is shown in Figure 2. This mop comprises a rigid back 24 provided with a handle fitting into a socket 26 fixed to the back 24. The underside of the back 24 has a piece of cellulose sponge 21 cemented or otherwise secured to it, the piece of cellulose sponge being large enough to cover substantially the entire undersurface of the back 24. As may be seen from Figure 2, the piece of cellulose sponge 21 is wider at the bottom than at the top so that its lower portion projects out beyond the edge of the back 24. This shape of the cellulose sponge 21 facilitates reaching into corners with the mop and makes it possible to press the mop into corners formed by walls and other perpendicular surfaces.

As may be seen from Figure 2, the bottom |B of the trough II is approximately as wide as the back 24 of the mop, and the sides I9 and 20 of the trough fiare out so that, at the top, the distance between them is slightly greater than the width of the bottom of the sponge 21. When this relationship between the dimensions of the mop and the trough exists and the mop is pressed down into the trough, the sloping sides I!) and 20 of the trough will force the projecting portionof the sponge 21 in under the back of the mop 24, the back of the mopand the sponge assuming the position shown at 24' and 21' in the drawing. At the same time, the downward pressure 'upon the bottom I8 will cause the sides l9 and 20 to swing towards the perpendicular and will further force the sponge 21' in under the mop back 24'.

This movement of the sides l9 and '20 of the trough is permitted by the fact that the trough is formed of resilient flexible metal and the hooks l6 and I1 which support one side 20 of the trough are rotatably mounted in the tubular rim portion 22 and permit the side 20 to swing over towards the other side. Thus, the sponge portion 21 of the mop is compressed into the space shown at 21, and any water which is present therein is pressed out and escapes through the perforations 23 in the trough Another form of trough for expressing moisture from the mop is shown in Figure 3. In this modification, the trough is formed of three pieces, a bottom 3| and two sides 32 and 33 connected together by hinged joints 34 and 35. The upper edges of the sides 32 and 33 are formed into tubular rim portions 36 and 31 into which the stem or shank portions of hooks 38 and 39 are inserted in the same way as in the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The bottom 3| and sides 32 and 33 are perforated but, instead of being flexible, as in the first form of the invention, they may be rigid in view of the fact that relative movement between them is permitted by the hinged Joints 34 and 35,

The operation of the form of the device shown in Figure 3 is substantially the same as that shown in Figures 1 and 2. When the mop is pressed down into the trough formed by the hinged sides 32 and 33 and bottom 3|, the sloping sides 32 and 33 force the sponge portion of the mop under the rigid head and then, as further pressure is applied, the sides 32 and 33 swing towards the vertical and apply pressure to the edges of the mop sponge. Other modifications of the squeezing device may, of course, be made, such as by providing a trough with upwardly extending ends as well as sides so as to force the sponge portion of the mop in under the head portion from all four sides. The trough, with either two or four sides, may be made rigid instead of flexible, although the flexible form is to be preferred. Also the trough may be made as wide as the sponge so that it merely prevents spreading of the sponge, although it is preferable to make the trough small enough at the bottom to press in the sides of the sponge.

Various modifications may be made in the mop. For example, as shown in Figure 4, the sponge portion of the mop may be made in a plurality of separate sections 4|, 42, 43 and 44, secured at their upper edges to the head portion 45 of the mop. When this form of mop is used, as shown in Figure 5, the slits 46 between the separate sections 4|, 42, 43 and 44 form passages which facilitate the flow of water into the mop when it is being used to pick up water from a fioor and which also facilitate the fiow of water out of the mop when the mop is being squeezed.

Another form of mop is shown in Figures 6 and 7, in which the sponge portion 5| of the mop secured to the head portion 52 is formed of a single piece of material, as in the mop shown in Figure 2, but in this case the sponge portion 6| is provided with a plurality of slits 53 extending up'from the bottom of the sponge portion to near the head 52. The slits 53 function in substantially the same manner as the cracks or slits 46 in the mop shown in Figures 4 and 5.

Still another form of mop is shown in Figure 8. In this mop, the sponge portion 54 is formed of a single piece, as in the mop shown in Figures 6 and 7, and is provided with longitudinal slits 55 in its undersurface. The slits 55, however, do not extend the full length of the sponge 54, but terminate short of the ends. Thus, at each end of the sponge, there is left a continuous unslit portion connecting together the portions separated by the slits 55.

While we have shown only a few embodiments of each of the parts of our invention, it will be obvious that many modifications thereof may be made. Our invention, therefore, is not limited to what we have shown and described above, but includes all such modifications as fall fairly within the terms of the following claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. A mop pressing device comprising a bottom, outwardly sloping sides, and means carried by the upper edges of said sides for supporting said sides and bottom, said sides being secured to and swingable with respect to said bottom when a mop is pressed downwardly thereagainst, and said supporting means comprising stationary portions and rotatable portions movable with respect to said stationary portions for permitting said sides to swing towards each other.

2. A metal trough for mounting within the mouth of pails of various sizes, said trough comprising a sheet of metal bent to form a bottom and a pair of opposed sides and tubular rims at the upper edges of said sides, and supporting hooks at each end of each of said sides, said supporting hooks having stem portions fitting into said tubular rims and having hook portions adapted to fit over the rims of said pails, the stem portions of the hooks on at least one of said sides being slidable toward and away from each other within the tubular rim thereon.

said tubular rims 3. A metal trough for mounting within the mouth of a pail,-said trough comprising a resilient sheet of metal bent to form a bottom and a pair of outwardly sloping opposed sides and tubular rims at the upper edges of said sides, and supporting hooks at each end of each of said sides, each of said supporting hooks having individual stem portions fitting into said tubular rims and hook portions extending up from said bent portion and adapted to fit over the rim of said pail, the stem portions of the hooks on one of said sides being rotatable and slidable within the tublar rim thereon andthe stem portions on the other of said sides being secured within and by the tubular rim thereon.

4. A mop pressing device comprising a sheet of resilient metal bent to form a bottom and outwardly sloping sides, said sides being swingable with respect to said bottom by virtue of the resiliency of said metal, and means at theupper edges of said sides for supporting said sides and said bottom, said supporting means comprising portions movable with respect to each other for permitting said sides to swing towards each other.

5. A metal trough for mounting within the mouth of a pail, said trough comprising a sheet of metal bent to form a bottom and a pair of opposed sides and tubular rims at the upper edges of said sides, said sheet of metal being substantially shorter along one side than the other and being symmetric about a plane perpendicular to said sides, and supporting hooks at each end of each of said sides, said supporting hooks havin stem portions fitting into said tubular rims and having hook portions adapted to fit over the rim of said pail, the supporting hooks on one of said sides being substantially farther apart than the supporting hooks on the other of said sides whereby said, trough will fit at one side of the center of said pail.

6. A trough for mounting within the mouths of pails of various sizes, said trough comprising a perforated sheet of metal bent to form a substantially flat bottom and a pair of outwardly sloping opposed sides having tubular rims at their upper edges, and supportin hooks havingstraight stem portions fitting into the ends of and having upwardly extending hook portions adapted to fit over the rims of said pails, one side of said trough being substantially longer than the other side and the hooks on said side being substantially farther apart than the hooks on said other side whereby said trough may fit at one side of the centers of said pails, and the stem portions of the hooks on at least one of said sides being slidable to permit adjustment to pails of different sizes.

7. A mop pressing device adapted for use with a mop of conforming configuration comprising a trough substantially of U-shaped configuration having a bottom and laterally opposed upwardly extending spaced sides, one of said sides being shorter than the other to enable disposition of the trough at the mouth of an associated pail on one side of its center, and supports at the ends of said sides for supporting the trough from the pail rim, the supports at the ends of one of said sides being adjustable for enabling association of the trough with pails of diiferent sizes.

8. An adjustable mop pressing device for mounting in the mouth of pails of various sizes and adapted for use with a mop of conforming size comprising a U-shaped sheet metal trough having a bottom and outwardly sloping opposed sides of uneven length, the edges of said trough at each of the open ends lying in a plane in acute angular relationship to the transverse axis of said trough, tubular rims along the upper edges of said opposed sides, and a supporting hook at each end of said tubular rim, each of said supporting hooks having a U-shaped hook and a straight stem portion fitting into said tubular rims, the stem portions in the tubular rim of the short Side of said trough being fixed tightly therein for seating the hooks on the rim of and fixedly bridging a portion of a pail closely adjacent a side thereof and the stem portions in the tubular rim of the long side of said trough being rotatably and slidably received therein for seating the hooks on the rim of and adjustably bridging a portion of a pailadiacent the center thereof. CATHERINE 0. TRINDL. FRANK A. TRINDL. 

